Key case fastening means



Sept. 21, 1943. M. E. TROLLEN I 2,330,162

KEY CASE FASTENING MEANS Filed May 2, 1941 4. TT h iif' 5 2. H l 2| 3;- B FIG. 3

L-FIG I I5 10 [I I2. 2

ll i y FIG. 5 i v B gi;

IL I I4 FIG. 2. s; is \v 2 iii g} MARTIN E. TROLLEN Patented Sept. 21, 1943 Martin E; TrollenQSt. Paul, Minn.,'as"signor to Brown & Bigelow, St. Paul, Minn, .a,corpora'-.J

tion of Minnesota H Application May 2,1941, sesame. 391.527

2 creams. (o1. 70-456) My invention relates to a key case wherein it is desired to provide a series of hooks held in ,a particular manner so that keys'may be individually held within and selected from the key case.

A feature of my invention resides in providing a key case having a series of short leather loops or loops formed of other similar material which are secured by stitching or other'means to a marginal edge of the key case so thatthe loops may be turned out individually. Each leather loop carries an individual hook so that a key may be anchored to the hook and thus when the leather loop is turned out the hook is turned out with the key on said hook.

A primary feature of my invention resides in providing the leather loops which are individual and which may be anchored by pasting the ends of the loops to the inside surface of the key case and thereafter sewing, stitching, or otherwise securing the pasted ends to the wall of the key case so that the individual leather loops lie side by side or adjacent each other and are held in this manner until they are permanently secured, thereby providing a series of parallelly disposed leather loops which in reality are individual and eparate from each other.

A further important feature of my invention resides in a simple construction which includes a short metal reinforcing channel having a hole in the same for the shank of the hook, the channel being adapted to receive a head formed on one end of the hook which anchors the hook in the leather loops. These short metal channels take the place of any other reinforcing means in the leather loops and are held by the shank of the hook extending through a hole in the leather loop; otherwise the metal reinforcing channels are unanchored and are free of attachment with the leather loop. This provides a very inexpensive means of supporting the hooks to the loops as it is only necessary to stamp out and form the channels from sheet metal and slip them into the leather loops and then slip the hook in place so as to hold the channels in the loops in a manner to provide the necessary reinforcing means, so that in operation the hooks will swivel or be rotatably supported in each of the loops by the metal channel which prevents the heads of the hooks from wearing on the leather loops.

These features together with other objects, will be more fully and clearly hereinafter set forth.

In the drawing forming a part of my specification:

Figure 1 illustrates my key case in open posi- "the key securedto the hook.

bottom of the loop M.

'tion, showing dotted linesa key attached to one of the hooks l i ure 2 isfa section'on'the line 2 52 of Figurel. Figure 3 illustrates the series of leatherjloops with the hooks attached to the".same, showing 1. the relative position of the individual loops when they are pasted or cemented to the'in n'er v wall of the key case.

Figured is a section on. the 'linefL-d of Figure3. V Figure,5 is an enlarged perspectivedetail of one of the reinforcingmetal channels for the head of the key hooks. I g j Figure 6 illustratesa key hook in side the key secured to the same.

' Figure 7 is an edge view of the hook showing Figured is a section on theline 8-8 of Figure l.

Figure 9 illustrates a detail of an alternative form of my key case.

My key case A has a body portion l0 formed of leather and is shown in open position in Figure 1. The key case A is of a construction where the edges are held closed by a Zipper fastener II which extends around the periphery of the same and the key l2 for operating the Zipper is shown in the open position at the bottom.

The key hooks B may be made ofany construction or form. These key hooks are made of spring wireand are preferably formed with a head portion 53. The head l3 provides the shoulder means at the upper end of the key hook B so as to hold the same swivelly connected to the individual leather loops l4.

I provide a metal channel I5 with a hole It in the same which is adapted to reinforce the leather loop M and in to rotate when the hook B is held by the leather loop 14 in the keycase A.

The channel it: is slipped into the lower end of the loop is and then the key hook B is opened and lipped through the hole l6 and on through the hole ii in the lower end of the loop l4 so that the shank [8 of the key hook will extend through the holes 16 and I1 respectively, thereby holding the reinforcing channel l5 in place in the This is the only means that holds the reinforcing metal channel I5 in the loop M. In this manner I .provide a simple inexpensive means of securing the hook B to the loop 14. When the hook B is supported in this manner, it will hang down from the loop as view with which the head 13 is adapted trated in the several figures showing the hook in operative position, and will support a key so that the key can be rotated Without twisting the loop l4. When the key and the hook are turned around, the head l3 rotates in the channel I5, and any wear of the hook B is directed to the metal reinforcing channel rather than directly against the leather loop I4.

It is in this simple construction that I have provided a practical means of supporting keys C in the key case A. There may be one or more loops [4 used, and in making the key case A, the loops M are individual strips with they ends l9 folded and pasted together as illustrated in Figure 4, and then the pasted together ends are pasted at to the wall 2| of the key case A, whereupon the pasted together ends IQ of the loops 14 are sewed by the stitching 22 to firmly secure the loops M to the inside of the key case A.

While the loops I4 may be provided with an eyelet 24 as a reinforcing means for the Wear of the head I 3 of the hook B as illustrated in Figure 9, this form is not as desirable as the ireely disposed reinforcing channel I 5.

I have found my key case to be not only economical to manufacture, but to provide a con.- struction which is easily assembled, and the freely disposed metal channels perform sufilcient reinforcing means to protect the leather loops I4. The free movement of the channels 15 in .the loops l4 also provides a freeness between the hook connection with the loops which seems to be desirable in providinga long wearing practical means of forming a key case.

My key case also provides a flexible body portion in the leather wall 2| as well as the leather loops M, which being separate permit the key case to flex when it is closed, as well as when it is opened, and thus overcoming any hard metal parts in the key case, such as are used where a metal plate is provided to support the key hooks. It has been found that such metal plates are undesirable and are not only unsightly when secured to the wall 2| of the key case, but are hard and stiff and wear through the wall 2| of the key case, and therefore are not as desirable as my flexible leather loops M which are independent and which permit a flexing of the wall of the key case in various directions without wearing the inner or outer wall of the key case A.

I claim; A

1. A key supporting means including a series 01 individual leather strap-like loops, means for securing the free ends of said loops to a supporting back, a loosely disposed metal channelshaped reinforcing means in each of said loops having a hole formed therethrough, holes formed in said loops coinciding with the holes in said channel-shaped reinforcing means, a key hook for each of said loops having a ball-like end swivelly engageable in said channel reinforcin means, said key hooks being adapted to hold said reinforcing means in said loops, and said key hooks being adapted to hang vertically disposed from said leather loops and to support a key thereon.

2. A key supporting means including a series of individual flexible looped straps, key supporting hooks adapted to be supported by said straps, means for securing aid individual straps in line With each other, a freely disposed reinforcing means in the lower end of said looped straps and an enlarged ball-like end on the upper end of s id hooks adapted to hold said reinforcing means freely centered in said loops.

MARTIN E. TROLLEN. 

